The Next Apprentice
by ImagineShine
Summary: Sabrina is an orphan, making her way in the world. Then Will Treaty finds her outside Jenny's restaurant one night, and her life changes forever. Now she has a family; and a Bronze Oakleaf to go with it. But can Sabrina survive being the only female Ranger in the Corps? Or will she be the best Ranger they've ever had?
1. Chapter 1

**I get the feeling this has been done before, but most of the stories like this I've read are horribly ****_Mary Sue_****-ish. I do my best to avoid that. I got this idea MONTHS ago and just barely got it back up and running again... Hope you like it!**

**I don't own Ranger's Apprentice... that incredible honor belongs to John Flanagan. **

**(And may I just add that this Series is the one of the best I have ever read. Do you have any idea how hard it is to write a series?! AND make each book as good as the last one? And yet Mr. Flanagan has done it. 3)**

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_Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. _

_John Quincy Adams_

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At first, Will wasn't sure if he'd really seen her. She was just another shadow in the growing darkness by the kitchen door of Jenny's restaurant. Then, as someone walked out the door, the shadow took a half-step back to stay out of the way. Will moved over to her, taking the long way around so he came up behind her; reaching her silently, he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"May I ask what you're doing?" He was impressed when she didn't jump violently at his touch and voice; only a sharp intake of breath indicated she hadn't been expecting him. She turned slowly to face him.

"Trying to decide if I want to ask for a job here."

Will could sense that she spoke the truth, and her eyes held no malice. "Any particular reason you feel the need to stake out the Kitchens to do that?"

Again she answered promptly, if a bit hesitantly. "I've worked places before where the help isn't treated very well; I've taken to watching the workings for a day before asking for a job."

Will nodded; it was actually a pretty good policy. "May I ask your name?"

"Sabrina." Will waited for a moment and she continued when it was obvious he was waiting for a family name, "Just Sabrina." Will arched an eyebrow; there could be several reasons she didn't give a family name—she didn't want anyone to know it, or she didn't have one.

"Why don't I introduce you to the Mistress of this establishment? I can assure you that she treats her staff well; maybe a crack on the head with her ladle if you make the same mistake more than once."

Sabrina's eyes widened. "You know her, Ranger?"

Will nodded, slightly pleased that she had recognized him as a Ranger—and still seemed confident around him. "She'd my sister, come on."

Sabrina followed Will around to the main entrance and he got his first good look at her. Tall and slender, he guessed she was about sixteen; curly auburn hair filled the hood of her worn blue cloak. Forest green eyes shone from a well-tanned face. Most conversation stopped when the Ranger and girl stepped into the dining are. Jenny instantly turned to investigate the cause and her eyes lit up when she saw Will.

"Will! So good to see you!" Jenny hurried over to give her brother a hug, then turned to Sabrina. "Who's this?"

Sabrina stepped forward. "I'd like to ask for a position in your restaurant, Mistress Jenny. My name's Sabrina."

Jenny looked her over, then gestured to the cloak, "Take that off, and let us get a look at you." Sabrina hesitantly removed her cloak, revealing a threadbare grey dress with ragged hems.

"I'm an orphan." She explained quickly. "I was tossed from farm to farm for a few years before…" She trailed off.

"How about a meal first? You can help with clean up after hours."

Sabrina glanced up at Jenny, then smiled. "You mean it?" Jenny nodded and bed both Will and Sabrina to an empty table in the corner.

"Bring us anything Jen." Will said as he sat down. Jenny beamed and hurried to give orders to the kitchen staff.

They had almost finished eating their meal when a serving girl nearby tripped, a tray of plates falling from her arms. There was the sound of a chair sliding back; Will blinked as a flash of red crossed his vision and a clatter of dishes sounded. Sabrina stood with one hand gripping the girl's arm and the other holding the tray. Nothing had hit the floor. Sabrina handed the girl the tray as soon as she had regained her feet and sat back down. "That was impressive."

Sabrina shrugged, "I've always been fast." They finished their meal in silence; Will toying with an idea that had been forming since he first saw Sabrina in the shadows.

**#####**

Will headed straight to Castle Redmont after he left Jenny's and sought out Halt.

Halt looked up from where he was re-fletching some arrows when someone knocked on the door. "Come in." He called, recognizing Will's knock.

Will entered the room, taking off his cloak. "I need some advice, Halt."

Halt raised an eyebrow. "And what might it be on?"

Will sat across from Halt and took an arrow to re-fletch. "I've found someone I'd like to be my apprentice; I just don't know if Crowley and the others would accept them."

"And why wouldn't they accept them?"

"The person I have in mind is a girl." Halt's head snapped up, _Girl?_ his expression asked and Will nodded. "I met her tonight, outside Jenny's restaurant. I almost didn't see her, she was standing in the shadows by the kitchen; I was only sure she was there when she moved slightly to avoid someone. She didn't panic when I snuck up behind her; then she caught one of the serving girls AND the tray she was carrying when she tripped, in the time it would take us to fire our bows."

Halt seemed suitably impressed. "I would just ask Crowley about it."

"Ask me about what?" The Ranger Corps Commandant stepped into the room and both Rangers fixed him with level looks.

"It's more polite to knock." Halt informed him dryly; Crowley only shrugged and moved to join the men.

"What does someone want to ask me?" He asked again and Will shrugged.

"I've found myself an apprentice; just wanted to make sure you were okay with it."

A grin spread across Crowley's face. "Excellent! Who is he?"

Will glance at Halt then turned back to Crowley. "HER name, is Sabrina."

The smile disappeared. "A girl?!" Crowley looked more and more interested as Will told him about Sabrina. "Sounds like the Corps is going to have a female Ranger." He commented after Will finished.

"So… you're okay with it?"

Crowley nodded. "Of course. Besides, Princess Cassandra would be very angry if I said no just because she's a girl."

Will laughed, "Yes, I would imagine Evanlyn wouldn't be too happy with you." Even Halt chuckled at that, and Will stood. "I should go. I know she'll be at Jenny's still." He threw his cloak over his shoulders and nodded to the others as he left the room.

Halt looked at Crowley, "I do believe an apprentice will be good for him."

**#####**

Will slipped into the now-empty restaurant and glanced around. Sabrina was cleaning one of the tables on the far side of the room; she hadn't noticed him yet, so he slipped into the kitchen to find Jenny first. "What do you think of Sabrina?"

Jenny glanced out into the main room. "She's a hard worker and she catches on quickly. She's quiet, but I feel that's more because she isn't sure of us yet. I think she'll be full of questions in a week."

Will smirked at Jenny's remark on questions. "Would you hate me if I took her away?"

Jenny looked at him. "Will Treaty, what are you planning?"

Will shrugged, laughing off her glare. "I plan on asking her to become a Ranger." He pushed open the door and headed towards Sabrina; fully aware of the shock on Jenny's face. "Sabrina."

Sabrina glanced up from her work, "What can I do for you, Ranger?"

Will sat and gestured her to do the same; once she had done so, he began. "You're a special girl, Sabrina; I would like to take you as my apprentice."

"Do they have female Rangers?" Sabrina asked softly, eyes wide.

"They will if you accept." Will said softly, wondering what she was thinking.

Sabrina bit her lip, her gaze flicking to look at Will's silver oakleaf and Ranger cloak; a small look of longing in her eyes. "I… I would be honored to become a Ranger, sir."

Will smiled. "It's just Will."

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**Well, there you go... hope you enjoyed chapter one. **

**As I mentioned at the beginning, I'm trying very hard to not make Sabrina a ****_Mary Sue _****so if you think I'm getting to close, let me know. (I swear I won't be offended.) Please don't just review to say how much you hate my story. If you don't like, don't read. Simple.**

**However; any suggestions to make it better will be greatly appreciated and taken into account.**

**++ ImagineShine**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! This update's really soon after the last one, but I couldn't wait to get it up... Thanks to those who reviewed!**

**As much as I wish it was mine... Ranger's Apprentice is owned by John Flanagan**

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_Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks. _

_ Isaac Watts_

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Sabrina arrived at Will's cabin early the next morning and knocked on the door. Will answered with a grin. "Good morning, Sabrina."

"Good morning, sir—" Will raised an eyebrow and she hastily revised her greeting. "I mean Will."

Inwardly laughing, Will stepped aside to let her in. "Your room is the small one on the left." Sabrina quickly placed her small bag of belongings on the bed and returned to the kitchen, her eyes flicking around to take in all the details of the cabin.

Will was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, grinning. Sabrina looked at his expression for a few seconds, then looked around the cabin; her eyes landed on the empty water barrel under the window. "I'll go fill the water barrel." Will blinked in shock as she walked outside and began the long work of filling the barrel bucket by bucket.

When she had finished, Sabrina entered the cabin holding a long branch. "Can I borrow your knife?" Will wordlessly handed over his saxe and followed her as she went back outside. He sat on the porch and watched as she began to whittle the stick into a familiar shape; it was crude, but it was reminiscent of a recurve bow.

"What are you doing?" Will's curiosity could no longer be contained.

Sabrina looked up. "The arch in the middle will go over my shoulders, and the ones on the end will each hold a bucket. When I'm done, I'll be able to fill the water barrel twice as fast."

Will leaned back, impressed with her initiative. His first day had seen him cleaning every inch of the cabin—not that Alyss would ever let it get into that state again. Sabrina had started the chores herself, then went about finding a way to make the work more efficient. "Jenny was right, you are a hard worker."

Sabrina glanced up, then went back to the knife and wood in her hands. "I was orphaned when I was five… then was tossed from farm to farm for nearly nine years; I've been working at other places for about a year now. I've had to be."

"Do you have a family name?" Will asked hesitantly.

Sabrina shrugged. "I suppose I must; I just don't remember it. My family was brand new in town—and I was too little to care about last names..."

Will was startled at how similar her life was to his story; with one major difference—Sabrina had been put on farm labor, Will had been placed in the Ward at Redmont. Finally, he spoke. "Well, you're a Ranger now. It'll be hard, but it will be much more satisfying than the farms." Sabrina nodded, that look of longing back in her eyes, and handed him back his saxe.

**#####**

Will's wife, Alyss, showed up around mid-day; and Will and Sabrina were cooking lunch. "You must be Sabrina." The tall Courier commented as she entered the cabin.

Sabrina dried her hands on a towel as she turned to face Alyss. "Yes, and you must be Lady Alyss. Your husband barely stops talking about you."

"Hey!" Both women laughed at Will's exclamation.

Alyss pulled a bag from her satchel and handed it to Sabrina. "Jenny mentioned you might be needing some new clothes so she and I did our best. I hope they fit."

Sabrina blushed as she looked down at her grey dress. "Thank you, Alyss." Then disappeared into her room; where she laid out her new clothes. There were three simple dresses, one in brown and the other two in different shades of green. She frowned, she had already noticed that her dress wasn't the most practical for Ranger work, and these were nearly the same style.

Biting her lip, she turned one of the green dresses inside out and grabbed a charcoal stick from her bag; then proceeded to mark a hemline well above the original. She sliced through the fabric with a small knife and laid aside the skirt, then pulled out a pair of pants from her bag that were only slightly worn, putting them on. She pulled the dress on— pleased to see that it fit—and it fell a couple inches above her knees. She left the room suitably satisfied that it was both practical and nice.

Will and Alyss looked up when Sabrina re-entered the kitchen. "That's definitely not one of the outfits I bought you." Alyss remarked jokingly and Sabrina grinned apologetically.

"Sorry, it's just that I noticed the long skirts aren't very practical in some cases and I got this idea and—"

Alyss held up a hand. "I'm not mad, Sabrina. In fact, I should have thought of that. We can take you to the tailors tomorrow to get you more like that, and anything else you need."

She glanced at Will to see if he had an objection but he just shook his head helplessly. "Come sit down, Sabrina; let's see how much history you know."

Sabrina took a seat across form Will. "I don't really know anything. It wasn't one of the subjects they thought I needed to learn." Will nodded in understanding and began to tell her about King Herbert and the founding of the Ranger's Corps.

**#####**

The next afternoon—after Alyss had taken Sabrina for new clothes and returned—Will took his apprentice out to the clearing he practiced in to introduce her to a Ranger's weapons. "A Ranger's primary weapon is stealth; after that, it's the bow." He handed her a recurve bow. "You might be able to move to a longbow in a few years; but for now, this will give you more power for a lower draw weight." Will grinned as he very nearly echoed Halt's words to him nearly eighteen years before.

Sabrina tossed the bow from her left hand to her right, and back again. "Can I try?"

"If you think that's a good idea." Wow, he sounded like Halt.

Something in his voice caught Sabrina's attention. "Is there a catch?"

Will laughed and shook his head, pulling out a hardened leather cuff out. "Here, put this on; it will protect your arm from the bowstring." Sabrina slid the cuff on and chose an arrow from the quiver at her feet; Will walked her through her first shot, pleased at how quickly she learned. "Next are your knives." He handed her a double scabbard with the knives. "Draw the small knife." Sabrina did as she was told and Will began explaining the throwing knife and saxe. "Just remember, an ordinary person practices until they get it right; a Ranger practices until they never get it wrong."

Sabrina smirked. "Sounds like a good policy."

Will smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. "You'll be a great Ranger, Sabrina. I'm sure of it."

Sabrina didn't say anything for a moment, then whispered. "Bri. You can call me Bri."

Will glanced down at the girl and grinned. "Bri it is then."

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**Just a fun fact that will be mentioned in a later chapter: Sabrina is left-handed- that's why she tried the bow in both hands. **

**++ ImagineShine**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I'll skip the meaningless jabber and jump straight into the story!**

**John Flanagan owns Ranger's Apprentice**

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_Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure. _

_ George Eliot_

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Bri slid through the forest less than a month later, placing each foot carefully; she was wearing her blue cloak, which wasn't ideal in the lightening woods. She muttered a curse as the tenth twig in two minutes snapped under her foot. Try as she might, she just couldn't get the hang of this silent moving thing—invisible yes, silent no.

She froze as Will stepped out onto the porch. His gaze swept over the trees, passing over Bri at first, then coming back to her. "That blue isn't the best for this, is it?"

Bri slowly stepped out of the shadows. "Not really, but it's great for nighttime."

"Still having trouble with your noise level?" Will took in her disgruntled expression.

"What do you think?" She asked sarcastically, then muttered, "Stupid question."

Will laughed and waved her towards him. "C'mon, we'll eat breakfast; then we're going somewhere." Bri hung up her cloak on a peg and went to start breakfast, chatting with Will and Alyss.

Alyss left after breakfast and Will led Bri through the forest. "Where are we going?" Will grinned as she finally asked the question he could tell she had been wanting to ask for nearly an hour.

"To visit a friend. Trust me; you'll enjoy this." Bri nodded her understanding; Will smiled at her irritated muttering as she made an effort to move silently. "You know, the muttering only makes it worse." Bri glared at him and he made a placating gesture. "Just saying." Bri muttered something unintelligible that was most likely highly uncomplimentary.

Will laughed; he had made the right choice in taking Bri as his apprentice; it had barely been a month, but she had already shown her eagerness to learn and an innate skill with the bow—not to mention her ability to remain relatively unseen without training; her weakness in silent movement would be fixed with practice.

"Here we are." Will pulled himself out of his thoughts as they approached Old Bob's stables.

"Morning to you, Ranger! Is this yer new apprentice?"

Will nodded. "Morning Old Bob. Yes, this is Sabrina."

"Good morning, sir."

Old Bob cackled. "Calls me 'sir'! Just like you she is!"

Will laughed softly, remembering his first meeting with the old horse trainer. "Are they ready?"

Old Bob nodded and whistled sharply. Tug and a black pony trotted up; what surprised Will was the teenage boy following them. "That boy there's Shawn. 'E's my apprentice." Will nodded, it was about time Old Bob got an apprentice— he had been doing this for decades.

A snort made him turn around. "Hello Tug. I've missed you." Will took an apple from the nearby barrel and fed his beloved horse.

Bri stared at the black pony; although she was by no means a battlehorse, there was a hidden strength in the horse's body and a deep intelligence in her eyes. "You like her?"

Shawn came up beside Bri and she nodded. "She's beautiful…" The horse stepped forward and pressed her nose into Bri's outstretched hand.

"Aye, she's a special one; don' usually train the mares for field work. Her name's Arashi, lass." Arashi tossed her head at the sound of her name.

"Why don't you saddle her up, Bri? See if you can ride her." Bri grabbed for the lead rope but the horse danced out of the way. Bri scowled, then turned her back on Arashi and acted disinterested. She soon felt Arashi nudge her in the back; Bri waited a few more moments, then turned around and grabbed the lead rope in one hand while petting Arashi with the other; then walked to where the saddle waited.

Once Arashi was saddled, Bri was about to mount her when she paused, noticing a sly grin on Shawn's face and a wicked gleam in Will's eye. "Is there some sort of catch? Like with the leather cuff for the bow?"

Will grinned ruefully as Old Bob and Shawn laughed. "You're smarter than I was, Bri. I fell for both of those when I was an apprentice."

"A Ranger's horse needs to be asked before you mount them the first time, they won't let anyone else on their back; keeps them from being stolen." Shawn explained. "Each horse is trained to answer to a different request. For Arashi it's _Shite Kudasai_."

Will frowned, "What language is that?"

Old Bob answered him. "It's Nihon-Jan; means 'please'. 'Er name's Nihon-Jan too."

"What were those words again?" Bri interrupted.

"_Shite Kudasai _You just whisper it in her ear."

Bri leaned in and whispered the words in Arashi's ear and Arashi tossed her head in acknowledgement. Bri mounted Arashi and trotted her around the paddock. "You know how to ride." Shawn remarked as Bri brought Arashi over to them.

"I used to ride some of the farm horses bareback; they're nothing compared to her though." Bri stroked the horse's neck as she spoke.

Will opened the gate. "Take her for a run. See what she can really do." Bri grinned and Arashi shot from standing to full speed; as they raced through the gate, the men could hear Bri's laughter.

Bri was out of breath when she got slowed Arashi to a stop in front of Will. "What a ride… wow."

"It was the same for me when I first rode Tug." Will grinned at Bri's flushed cheeks and wind-combed hair. "Have Shawn help you brush her down, then we'll go home." Bri jumped off Arashi's back and gently took the reins in her fist before following Shawn into the stable.

**#####**

Will and Bri raced back to the cabin, Arashi and Bri won—barely. Bri swung herself out of the saddle, laughing. Arashi tossed her head proudly.

_I told you I would win. _

"I didn't doubt you for a second."

Will grinned; Bri was already talking to Arashi—something all Rangers did. Tug nudged Will's shoulder.

_I let her win. _

Will laughed. "Knowing how you run, I'm sure you did." They brushed down the horses and went into the cabin to start dinner.

They had just finished when Alyss entered and dropped into the closest chair. "Phew! I haven't been that busy since…" She trailed off, trying to think of a time she had been as busy as she was today. Nothing was coming to mind.

"Good thing dinner's ready then." Bri commented as she set a plate of food in front of Alyss. She laughed and straightened in the chair as Will and Bri joined her at the table.

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**Hah! Bri can't move quietly... and it's really annoying her. ^_^**

**++ ImagineShine**


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